Shoe and method of manufacturing the same



Feb. 19, 1929. 1,702,382

H. B. GORMAN SHOE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAIE Filed Jan. 4, 1926 Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY IB. GORMAN, OI LYNCHBUBG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGITOR T0 UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY OORPORATION, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 01 NEW JERSEY.

SHOE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

Application filed January 4, 1926. Serial No. 79,11 8.

This invention relates to shoes and the manufacture thereof and is illustrated herein with reference to the attachment of wood heels to shoes although in various aspects its utility is not so limited Wood heels are often of considerable height, two inches or more being common, and the stresses to which they are subjected during wear are correspondingly great. In the case of Louis heels particularly the small waists of the heels seriously limit both the number and the length of the attaching nails which can be used. Louis heels, moreover, are commonly formed with an overhanging or projecting breast portion adjacent to t eir attaching surface, this portion being so thin that no attaching nails can be driven into it. This still further limits the use of attaching nails. As a result of these different limitations, the attachment of wood heels, and particularly wooden Louis heels, to shoes is often much less secure than it should be.

It is, acordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of securing heels to shoes. As illustrated, my improved method is characterized by the formation of a pair of tabs from the substance of the sole adjacent to the heel-breast line, these tabs being secured to the breast surface of the heel with their outer edges in alinement with the breast corners of the heel. In the case of shoes havin for example, wooden Louis heels these ta bs may be completely covered and concealed by a flap, split from the sole of the shoe, such as is commonly used to cover the breasts of Louis heels. These tabs are preferably formed by transversely inclined cuts extending approximately parallel to the edges of the sole, thereby permitting the tabs to be swung inwardly or outwardly (toward each other or apart) so as to bring their outer edges into line with the breast corners of the heel, even though they do not naturally tend to take such positions. If the ends of such tabs are beveled before the heel-breast covering flap is cemented into place, their surfaces will merge with the breast surface of the heel so that after the breast covering is in lace, the flaps will not be noticeable in the nished shoe, except as they may serve to give a pleasing plumpness and roundness to the breast portion of the heel.

In another aspect the invention comprises a shoe havin a heel attached thereto with a pair of tabs ormed from the sole of the shoe overlylng the breast portion of the heel and w th the outer edges of the tabs in alinement with the breast corners of the heel. Such tabs act as buttresses and serve materially to assilst in a secure attachment of the heel to the s 0e.

With the above and other objects and features 1n v1ew the invention will now be described 1n connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 1s a pers ective view of the rear portion of a shoe a ter the performance of the heel-seat fitting operation but before the attachment of a heel to the shoe, the sole of the shoe being formed with a pair of tabs in accordance with the method of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same shoe with a Louis heel attached thereto and with the overhanging or projecting portion of the breast of the heel overlaid b the tabs;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view 0 the same shoe with the tabs swung so as to brin their outer edges into alinement with the roast corners of the heel, the tabs being secured to the heel breast in that position;

Fig. 4 is a pers ective view of the same shoe after the ends 0 the tabs have been beveled; an

Fig. 5 is the finished shoe with the breast of the heel covered by the usual flap split from the sole.

In practicing the method of thepresent invention as illustrated herein the heel-seat fitting operation is performed in any usual or suitable manner, except that the surplus stock is not removed from a portion of the heelseat extending rearwardly about one-half an inch more or less from the heel-breast line. From this portion of the stock is formed a pair of tabs 8, 8, the inner edges of these tabs being formed by cuts 10 (Fig; 1) approximately parallel to the edge of the sole but inclined transversely and extending from a point half an inch or so to the rear of the heel-breast line forwardly to the heel-breast line. The surplus stock to the rear of. these tabs is removed in the usual manner, leaving a convex heel-seat 11 corresponding to the concave or cupped attaching surface of the wood heel. In the illustrated shoe a flap 12 has been split from the sole, to be used to cover the breast of the heel in the usual way. [also the shank portion of the sole has been thinned almost to a feather edge, at 13, as is common in the manufacture of womens shoes of light weight.

After the heel-seat fitting operation has been done and tabs 8 have been formed as just related, a wood heel 14 illustrated as of the well-known Louis type and urovided with a forwardly projecting, verhanging breast portion 1'6 is attached to the shoein any up: proved manner, for example by gluing and nailing, with its overhanging breast portion 16 positioned beneath the tabs 8, as shown in Fig. 2. Neat tabs 8 are cemented or otherwise secured to the breast surface 18 of the heel, the tabs being swung inwardly or outwardly as may be necessary to bring their outer edges 20 into alinementwith tiie breast corners of the heel. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, the taper of the heelbeing such that it has been necessary to swing tabs 8 inwardly a short distance from the position shown in Fig. 2. In order to cause the surfaces of the tabs to merge in the breast surface the heel, the ends of the tabs should be beveled. This is illustrated at 22 in Fig. l, as the next step of the method though it should be understood that the position in the sequence of operations at which the beveling is performed is not of major importance. After the beveled flaps have been secured to the heel-breast the heel-breast covering 12 is cemented into position, as illustrated in 5, thus completely concealing the tabs in the finished shoe.

Having described the invention, what if claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shoe having a heel provided with an overhanging breast portion, the sole of the shoe being formed with a pair of tabs secured to the overhanging breast portion of the heel with their outer edges in line with the breast corners of the heel, said tabs having beveled ends and inner edges so that their outer surfaces merge in the breast surface of the heel, the tabs and the breast of the heel being covered by a flap split from the sole.

2. A shoe having a heel provided with an overhanging breast portion, the sole of the shoe being formed with a pair of tabs secured to the overhanging breast portion of the heel and serving to strengthen the attachment of the heel to the shoe, said tabs having beveled ends and inner edges so that their outer sur faces merge in the breast surface of the heel and being located with their outer edges in alinernent with the breast corners of the heel.

3. That improvement in methods of manufacturing shoes which comprises forming upon a sole a pair of tabs extending from the heel-breast line of the sole rearwardly and having beveled inner edges, attaching to a shoe to which said sole has been attached mosses heel having an overhanging breast portion with said overhanging portion beneath the tabs, and securing the tabs to the overhanging breast portion of the heel with their outer edges in alinement with the breast corners of the heel.

t. Thatimprovement in methods of manufacts:- shoes which comprises forming a pair of tabs upon a sole the margins of the shank portion of which are reduced to a feather edge, said tabs being formed by a pair of cuts extending from the heel-breast line rearwardly, said cuts being approximate ly parallel to the edges of the sole and inclined transversely so that the inner edges of the tabs are beveled, attaching to a shoe to which said sole has been attached a heel having an overhanging breast portion with the overhanging breast portion beneath said tabs, swinging the tabs to bring their outer edges into alinement with the breast corners of the heel, beveling the ends of the tabs, securing the tabs to the breast surface of the heel, and covering the tabs and the breast of the heel With a flap split from the sole.

5. That improvement in methods of manufacturing shoes which comprises forming at the heel-breast line of a sole a pair of tabs having beveled inner edges, attaching to a shoe to which said sole has been attached a heel having an overhanging breast portion with the overhanging breast portion beneath said tabs, bringing the outer edges of the tabs into alinement with the breast corners of the heel, and securing the tabs to the breast surface of the heel with their outer edges in line with the breast corners of the heel.

6. That improvement in methods of manufacturing shoes which comprises forming a pair of tabs upon a sole by a pair of cuts extending from the rear of the heel-breast line forwardly to the heel-breast line, said cuts being inclined transversely so that the inner edges of the tabs are beveled, attaching to a shoe to which said sole has been attached a heel having an overhanging breast portion with the overhanging breast portion beneath said tabs, and securing the tabs to the breast surface of the heel with their outer edges in alinenient with the breast corners of the heel.

'7. That improvement in methods of manufacturing shoes which comprises forming a pair of tabs approximately at the heel breast line of a solo by a pair of cuts extending substantially parallel to the edges of the sole, attaching a heel to a shoe to which said sole has been attached, swinging the tabs as may be necessary to bring their outer edges into line with the breast corners of the heel, and securing the tabs in place as thus adjusted.

8. That improvement in methods of 1nanufacturing shoes which comprises splitting the rear portion of a sole to form a heel breast covering flap extending from the heel end of the sole somewhat forwardly of the heel breast line, forming at the heel breast line of the sole a pair of tabs having beveled inner edges, attaching a heel having an overhanging breast portion to a shoe having a sole so prepared with the overhanging breast portion of the heel beneath said tabs, securing the tabs to the breast surface of the heel with their outer edges in line with the breast corners of the heel, and securing the heel breast flap to the breast of the heel thereby also covering the tabs, the ends of the tabs being beveled prior to the covering of the heel breast with the breast flap.

9. That improvement in methods of manufacturing shoes which comprises forming at the heel breast line of a sole a pair of tabs having beveled inner edges, attaching a heel having an overhanging breast portion to a shoe having a sole so prepared with the overhanging breast portion of the heel beneath said tabs, securing the tabs to the breast surface of the heel with their outer ed s in line with the outer corners of said heel, t e ends of the tabs being beveled at any desired time during the performance of the operation.

10. That improvement in methods of manu facturing shoes characterized by forming upon a sole a pair of tabs extending from the heel breast line of the sole rearwardly and having beveled inner edges, attaching a heel having an overhanging breast portion to a shoe having such a sole with the overhanging breast portion of the heel beneath the tabs, and beveling the ends of the tabs to cause their surfaces to merge with the breast surface of the heel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY B. GORMAN. 

